The Vice President of India, Shri M. Hamid Ansari has said that the foundations laid by people like Prof. Ashok Parthasarthi enabled India to enhance its Science and Technology capacity. He was addressing the gathering after releasing the Festschrift titled 'A lifetime of Moulding Technology and Science Policy in India' dedicated to Prof. Ashok Parthasarthi, here today. The Emeritus Chairman of M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, Prof. M S Swaminathan and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

The Vice President said that Prof. Ashok Parthasarthi is one of India's best known Science and Technology planners and he was consulted by the Government during the 1971 war with Pakistan and had a role to play in 1974 peaceful nuclear explosion. Thereafter, he has been closely associated with several of India's defence projects, he added.

The Vice President said that Prof. Parthasarthi built on the legacy of the importance that science was accorded in independent India by Pandit Nehru. As a science policy planner, Prof. Parthasarathi advocated a major restructuring of our policies and demanded higher budgetary allocations to reflect the government's prioritization of science and technology, he added.

The Vice President said that one crucial area has remained neglected when formulating our science and technological policies, has been the development of our universities, particularly Science and Technology research in the universities. He said that he hoped subsequent S&T policy formulations will keep the central role the Universities can play as the seats of innovation and ideas factories for the nation.

Following is the text of Vice President's address:

"Professor Ashok Parthasarthi is one of India's best known Science and Technology planners. A physics teacher, he trained as an astro-physicist, working with the likes of Martin Ryle. He also served in the Department of Atomic Energy assisting the then Chairman, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai.

He was consulted by the Government during the 1971 war with Pakistan and had a role to play in 1974 peaceful nuclear explosion. Thereafter, he has been closely associated with several of India's defence projects. He served as the first, full time S&T policy advisor to the Prime Minister- first in mid 70s and again from 1980-84. He, of course, went on to serve as Secretary to Government of India, and after retirement, as a Professor at the JNU.

This festschrift, which delineates various aspects of his contributions to moulding of India's Science and Technology policy, is a fitting tribute. I see in the list of contributors, names of individuals who have known and worked with Prof. Parthasarthi and are in perhaps the best position to remark on his amazing talent.

Prof. Parthasarthi built on the legacy of the importance that science was accorded in independent India by Pandit Nehru, who not only saw science as solving the 'problems of hunger and poverty, of insanitation and illiteracy, of superstition and deadening custom and tradition, of vast resources running to waste, or a rich country inhabited by starving people', but also dreamt of an India where scientific temper would be the basis of all social interaction.

Two particular contributions of Prof. Parthasarthi, in his role as our top Science Policy planner, have had deep impact on the shaping of Indian sciences and need to be mentioned.

The first was, when, under his instigation, the National Committee on Science and Technology prepared a comprehensive S&T Plan in 1974. The Plan identified 24 sectors "with a view to evolving suitable programmes of research, development and design …..for accomplishing time bound targets". The Plan was geared towards import substitution, adaptation of imported technology, enhancement of industrial productivity, export promotion and building up capabilities in frontier areas and augmentation of R&D. It is not surprising that some of the sectors identified back then including- Nuclear Energy, Space Sciences, Pharmaceuticals, heavy engineering- are the areas where Indian has shown remarkable progress.

The next was in 1980s, when Prof. Parthasarthi was again appointed the Science and Technology Advisor to the Prime Minister. The government issued the Technology Policy Statement (TPS) and a high level Committee was constituted to implement the recommendations of the TPS which included a focus on developing indigenous technology and efficiently absorbing and adapting imported technology. The TPS aimed at fostering linkages between the various S&T institutions in order to generate technology which would impart economic benefit. These were later to transmute into various technology missions that saw translation of S&T gains into practical and public oriented solutions.

Some commentators have, especially in recent years, criticised the over emphasis on import substitution, especially in critical sectors, where perhaps we could have benefitted more from external exposure. But few deny his deep impact on the Indian Science and technology policy formulation or his role in making Science and Technology a part of the highest strategic policy discussion in India.

As a science policy planner, he advocated a major restructuring of our policies. He demanded higher budgetary allocations to reflect the government's prioritization of science and technology. He has championed greater devolution for sectors such as rural development, public health, energy- including emphasis on renewable energy sources, weather forecasting and preserving our bio-diversity.

The foundations laid by people like Ashok Parthasarthi enabled India to enhance its Science and Technology capacity. The one crucial area, however, which I believe has remained neglected when formulating our science and technological policies, has been the development of our universities, particularly Science and Technology research in the universities. I hope that subsequent S&T policy formulations will keep the central role the Universities can play as the seats of innovation and ideas factories for the nation.

I think this present volume is timely and will inform the national debate on the need for developing a scientific temper and formulation of a new science and technology policy in the country.

I offer my best wishes to the editor and contributors to this volume as well as to Academic Foundation, the publishers for the success of the book.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, UN-ESCAP, November 2016, ISBN: 9789211207323.

Foreword

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes international trade as a generator of inclusive economic growth. It adds value to economies, provides foreign exchange earnings to help finance development and enables job creation, all of which contribute to poverty reduction. Taking advantage of its dynamism, diversity and labor markets has enabled Asia and the Pacific to be competitive in international markets. This is evidenced by the rise in the region's share of global trade and participation in associated value chains.

Like elsewhere, however, the Asia and Pacific region has faced protracted global headwinds since 2007, which has impacted the trade sector and its prospects. This latest Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2016 highlights that the region's trade flows are wavering amid continued sluggish global economic and trade growth, downward movement of world commodity prices and an uncertain policy environment. These outcomes come at a time when the need for trade growth to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is critical.

Even though regional trade did gain some momentum during 2010-2014, the nominal value of Asia and Pacific exports and imports in 2015 experienced a major slump of 9.7 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively. Sluggish growth in trade is expected to continue through to the end of 2016. Forecasts, presented in this Report, do offer hope for a rebound in trade, more so in value, but growth in exports and imports in volume terms will be around 2.2 per cent and 3.8 per cent, respectively.

To its credit, most of Asia's exporting economies have decoupled from the economic cycles in traditional exports markets, like the United States and the European Union, by not only diversifying their export markets but also through boosting domestic consumption and the services sector. Notwithstanding, the region has the potential to lead by example and revitalize its trade momentum, which will be critical to ensuring our future is sustainable and that our societies are more equal.

Concurrent to trade, foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to developing countries have also slowed. FDI flows and regional integration policies have been adversely affected by populist sentiments which have been growing globally. In Asia and the Pacific, growing discontentment with liberalization has to a certain extent been influenced by the inequitable distribution of the benefits of liberalization and rising inequalities. In this context, it is of little surprise that a number of new restrictive trade measures, particularly in G20 countries, were implemented in 2016.

This year's edition of the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report (APTIR) does, however, reveal positive news. With a share of 40%, the Asia-Pacific region is still the largest goods exporting region globally. The region's share in commercial services trade continues to strengthen and restrictiveness of services trade has not increased in the region's economies. Furthermore, the region's active actions towards international investment liberalization helped greenfield FDI inflows grow much faster than the global average. Significant progress was also witnessed in the region's efforts to decrease trade costs, illustrated by the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific. A significant number of economies in our region have also already ratified the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, with the 12 remaining Asia-Pacific economies on track to ratify the Agreement soon.

In addition to these developments, Asia and the Pacific also witnessed the first signs of some consolidation among the preferential trade activities in the region. Nevertheless, after the results of the recent United States election, it appears that at least one of the mega-regional agreements signed in 2016, has an uncertain future. This is disappointing, and represents a considerable loss in terms of time and costs for the countries that were involved in negotiating this agreement. Moving forward, these developments may, however, allow the region's economies to focus more on South-South integration and enable them to promote trade and investment linkages suited to their development aspirations.

I recommend the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2016: Recent Trends and Developments to all Governments, development partners and other stakeholders. Together with 5 sub-regional and almost 30 country trade briefs, this Report offers comprehensive evidence that will help in the introduction of well-informed trade and investment trends and policies across the region. Given that the short-term prospects for international trade are not promising, the changing patterns and prospects outlined in this Report highlight that achieving the 2030 Agenda will require the continued and dedicated efforts of our region's economies to create a strong, vibrant and enabling environment for international trade and investment.

Shamshad Akhtar | Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations | Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

International Conference on "Knowing Nature: The Changing Foundations of Environmental Knowledge"

25th to 27th May 2017

Renmin University of China, Beijing, China

Co-sponsored by the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, and the Center for Ecological History, Renmin University of China, Beijing, in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin.

Call for Papers

Who knows nature best? Over the past 10,000 years competing communities of knowledge have evolved, each with formalized standards and processes. Peasants have competed against craftsmen, religious leaders, and urban experts. In modern societies based on science and technology, the claims to knowledge have changed even more dramatically, although scientific knowledge still competes with other bodies of knowledge. And always, who gets to define knowledge can have profound consequences for the natural world.

For our conference we seek proposals that examine what has been seen and understood as measurable, speculative, safe or unsafe and how scale (of landscapes, research projects etc.) can affect knowledge production. We welcome proposals on the rise of new fields of knowledge about nature and the environment and their search for disciplinary and institutional stability. Our conference will seek to move beyond simple dichotomies (modernity vs. tradition, science vs. religion, folk wisdom vs. urban ignorance), to develop comparisons that cross national boundaries, and to bring neglected parts of the globe and time into view.

Our keynote speaker will be Dagmar Schäfer, managing director of the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin, and author of The Crafting of the 10,000 Things: Knowledge and Technology in Seventeenth-Century China (University of Chicago Press, 2011).

This conference is open to all ranks of scholars, from graduate students to senior professors. Paper proposals should be one-page long (or about 300 words) and include a title and a one- or two-page CV.

Send proposals to conference secretary Agnes Kneitz, Assistant Professor of History at Renmin University at this address: a.kneitz[at]ruc.edu.cn. The deadline for consideration is 1st January 2017.

Successful proposals will be announced around 1st February, and complete drafts of papers (minimum of 5,000 words in English or the equivalent in Chinese characters) will be required by 1st May 2017. All papers will be circulated to the participants in advance and will not be orally presented during the conference.

The members of the selection committee include Mingfang Xia, Director of the Center for Ecological History and Senior Professor in the School of History, Renmin University of China; Helmuth Trischler, Head of Research at the Deutsches Museum, Munich, and Co-Director of the Rachel Carson Center; and Donald Worster, Hall Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus, University of Kansas, and Distinguished Foreign Expert, Renmin University.

The organizing chairperson for the conference is Professor Shen Hou, Deputy Director of the Center for Ecological History and Associate Professor of history at Renmin University.

Travel expenses for scholars living outside of China will be reimbursed by the Rachel Carson Center. Scholars living within China should depend on their own universities for covering travel expenses. For all participants, hotel accommodations for four nights and all meals will be covered by Renmin University of China.

Following the conference we will organize a group field trip to the Great Wall as a site and symbol of what Joseph Needham called "science and civilization in China."

Sunday, November 27, 2016

CSSP Special Lecture "Scientometrics as a Viable Method for STS Research" was delivered by Dr Sujit Bhattacharya (Professor, Academy of Scientific Research & Innovation, NISTADS, India) on 17th November 2016.

Science in the developing world has experienced historic change over the past 30 years. Nations that lacked resources for even basic science have since developed world-class research centres. Men and women who previously had no chance of pursuing scientific careers in their own countries now thrive in home-grown universities and laboratories dedicated to scientific excellence.

The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) has been front and centre during this remarkable transformation. A Voice for Science in the South tells the story of TWAS through the eyes of 11 eminent scientists associated with the Academy. They speak of the organization's challenges and triumphs, and describe what TWAS has meant for their careers and the careers of thousands of scientists in the developing world. They also explore the challenges that lie ahead for TWAS and, more generally, for science in the South. It is a story of unprecedented global change and an account of what must be done to ensure that all nations can share in the benefits that emerge when science is woven into the fabric of society.

Key TWAS leaders reflect on the history of science in the developing world – and the history and future of TWAS – in a new book. In 11 inspiring essays, TWAS leaders detail the Academy's triumphs and challenges in advancing science for the developing world.

Thirty years after the first TWAS General Meeting, a new book explores the Academy's past and future in a series of essays by TWAS leaders and prominent Fellows from the developing world. "A Voice for Science in the South" serves as window into one of the most significant changes of our era: how nations once trapped in poverty have invested in science, technology and education to drive development and improve human conditions. The book "will serve as a lasting reminder of the commitment that motivated Abdus Salam, Paolo Budinich and the others who founded the Academy and guided its work for the first 30 years," writes TWAS President Bai Chunli in the Foreword. "Though the world may change, their ideals remain constant. At the same time, this volume reminds us of the hard work and creativity that will be required to build on their legacy, so that TWAS remains an effective leader and advocate for science in the service of human progress."

"A Voice for Science in the South" was edited by Daniel Schaffer, the former TWAS public information officer, and published by Singapore-based World Scientific. In an introductory essay, Schaffer reflects on the vision and commitment of Salam, the Pakistani physicist who founded the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in 1964 and won the Nobel Prize in 1979. Following that reflection are essays by four pioneering TWAS leaders: former Presidents José I. Vargas of Brazil; C.N.R. Rao of India; and Jacob Palis of Brazil; and longtime Executive Director Mohamed H.A. Hassan of Sudan. "A Voice for Science in the South" also features essays by:

TWAS Fellow Ana María Cetto Kramis of Mexico, who has played a globally influential role in supporting women in science;

TWAS Fellow Adnan Badran, who served as prime minister of Jordan during a distinguished career of scholarship, political engagement and diplomacy;

Zakri Abdul Hamid, a TWAS Fellow who serves as science adviser to the government of Malaysia, a member of the UN Secretary-General's Science Advisory Board, and founding chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services;

Keto Mshigeni, a TWAS Council vice president and one of Africa's preeminent natural scientists, known for his research into seaweed and mushrooms as food sources;

TWAS Fellow Yu Lu, a renowned Chinese physicist who served as the first permanent member of the ICTP scientific staff;

Roseanne Diab, a TWAS Fellow and executive director of the Academy of Sciences of South Africa; and

TWAS Young Affiliate Maria Corazon A. De Ungria of the Philippines, head of the DNA Analysis Laboratory at the University of the Philippines.

UNESCO Communication and Information Weekly Newsletter

Statistics collected by UNESCO show that a recent awareness-raising campaign on the safety of journalists has reached millions of people worldwide. The campaign marked the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI, 2 November). Titled My Killers Are Still Free, the aim of the advocacy initiative was to draw attention to the high level of journalists' killings and the prevailing impunity for these crimes committed against them.

UNESCO's concept of Internet Universality was featured prominently during a conference at the University of Salerno, Italy on 10 and 11 November. Titled "Internet Governance: theories, models and research perspectives", the event drew prominent Internet scholars, including Mauro Santaniello, Laura DeNardis, Jeannette Hoffman, Claudia Padovani and Meryem Marzouki.

A round table and a high-level meeting on Russia's language policy and the situation of the multilingualism in the world was held in Moscow on 17 and 18 November at the ITAR-TASS News Agency, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, the Russian Committee of the UNESCO Information for All Programme, and the Interregional Library Cooperation Centre.

Bringing a pop-up banner with them to UNESCO Headquarters, a delegation travelled from Jakarta to Paris last week to discuss next year's global World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) commemoration to be held in Indonesia.

According to the World Trends on Freedom of Expression and Media Development report, the weak economic position of the media industry in Africa continues to exacerbate the problems of self-censorship, widespread bribery and unprofessional journalism, as well as negatively impacting the sustainability and independence of media outlets.

It is in this regard that UNESCO participated in the 45th International Forum of the Union Internationale de la presse francophone to discuss Media Economics in developing countries from 20 to 24 November 2016 in Ansirabe, Madagscar. The event attracted the participation of more than 300 journalists including representatives from Reporters without Borders, the Moroccan High Authority of Audiovisual Communication (Haute autorité de la communication audiovisuelle), the president of the Niger Union de la Presse Francophone, media owners and representatives of international organizations.

At the opening of the forum, the President of the Republic of Madagascar, Mr. Hery Rajaonari...

The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today urged measures to improve the safety of journalists in Yemen following the killing of photojournalist Awab Al-Zubairi on 18 November in Taiz, in Yemen.

The 30th session of the Intergovernmental Council of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), which took place in UNESCO Headquarters on 17-18 November 2016, re-elected Ms. Albana Shala as Chair of the Programme for the 2016-2018 period.

The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today condemned the killing of television journalist Marcel Lubala on the night of 14 to 15 November in the city of Mbuji-Mayi, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Kasai-Oriental province.

Since becoming India's prime minister in 2014, Narendra Modi has been a tour de force in foreign policymaking. A vastly experienced administrator who has held key public positions as chief minister of an Indian state for more than a decade and now as prime minister, he has always seen value in foreign affairs and devoted special attention to it with his unique entrepreneurial flair and coherent set of ideas. Every realm of Indian foreign policy commercial diplomacy, defence diplomacy, diaspora outreach, cultural diplomacy, geostrategy and soft power has been transformed by him with a sense of destiny not witnessed in recent memory. Indians and people the world over have noticed his star presence and are asking questions like:

'Why is he investing so much time and energy into promoting India's international relations and global image?

What are his vision and goals for India's role in the world'?

What kind of distinct techniques define his approach to foreign policy?

How is he changing India's self-understanding and preparing it for world affairs?'

This book provides the answers by delving into the mind and method behind Narendra Modi's avatar as India's diplomat-in-chief. It argues that under his able watch, India is heading toward great power status in the international order.

About the Author

Sreeram Chaulia is Professor and Dean at the Jindal School of International Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University, in Sonipat, India. He is an eclectic political scientist specialising in both international security and international political economy. He is a contributing editor of People Who Influenced the World (Murray Books, Adelaide, 2005) and the sole author of International Organizations and Civilian Protection: Power, Ideas and Humanitarian Aid in Conflict Zones (I.B. Tauris, London, 2011) and of Politics of the Global Economic Crisis: Regulation, Responsibility and Radicalism (Routledge, New Delhi, London and New York, 2013). He received education from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University; University College, Oxford University; The London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. He is a leading opinion columnist for Indian newspapers- the Economic Times and the Asian Age- on world affairs and a commentator on international current issues on radio and television in India and abroad. He has worked as an international civilian peacekeeper in the warzones of Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

The OKD Institute of Social Change and Development, Guwahati has been organizing the 'Young Social Scientists' Meet' every year. The Meet provides a platform to young researchers from all over the country working on Northeast region to disseminate and share their research work and build a network of young scholars working on the region. This year also the Institute will be organizing two day Young Social Scientists' Meet on 15th and 16th of December, 2016 at OKDISCD in Guwahati. We invite young Research Scholars working on Northeast India to participate in the Meet and present their research work. The scholars should send a Concept note on their presentation in 1500 words. The concept notes will be selected on a competitive basis for presentation and for poster display. Last date for sending concept note is 30th November, 2016. The Institute will reimburse A/C three tier train fare by shortest route for all the shortlisted scholars for the Meet. Young Scholars may send their concept papers with their detail affiliations to socialscientistmeet@gmail.com. For details see www.okd.in.

NITI Aayog aims to build strong States that will come together to build a strong India. As the government's premier think-tank, we view knowledge building & transfer as the enabler of real transformation in the States. To build knowledge systems for the States and the Centre, NITI is pleased to announce the launch of "NITI Lectures: Transforming India". The second lecture in the high-powered NITI Lecture series was delivered by Bill Gates, Co-Founder, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on the November 16th, 2016. The theme of the lecture was 'Technology and Transformation'. Outlining the global shifts that impact the nation's development, the lecture discusses India's many advantages, its potential to address existing challenges and the opportunities that lay ahead by using technology and innovation as levers for transformation.Through this lecture series, NITI Aayog aims to bring policy makers, academics, experts and administrators of global repute to India, for the benefit of policy makers in States and the Centre. This is aimed at learning from global experience in development and good governance. The Transforming India Lecture Series was inaugurated on August 26th, 2016 by the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The first keynote address - India and the Global Economy - was delivered by the Hon'ble Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, Shri Tharman Shanmugaratnam.